Wednesday, July 17, 2024

More Kingston & Pembroke Stations


In this post showing stations on the southerly end of the Kingston & Pembroke (K&P) Railway within Frontenac County, my northerly coverage stopped at Godfrey. 

Recently, via fellow Kingston rail enthusiasts Graham Oberst and Paul Hunter, I was pleased to receive a gracious donation of several vintage postcards and a variety of photos from the Burleigh family. These interesting artifacts, vintage yet uncredited show various stations that obviously reflect the area Wesley (Ross) Burleigh worked in for the K&P and later CP. Likely saved by him as mementoes of his service, I pledged to give them a good home and that's one reason you're seeing many of them them published in this post.

Ross Burleigh was a telegrapher and operator at several K&P/CP stations in that area. A Verona resident, later living in Kingston on Livingston Street (1926), he then operated a summer resort west of Amherstview for 40 years reaching the age of 94. 

His brother was local historian Herbert Clarence Burleigh, MDCM (Medicinæ Doctorem et Chirurgiæ Magistrum - only granted by McGill), born at Hartington, Ontario in 1893, educated in Sydenham and Queen's University, graduating with a degree in Medicine in 1926. After graduation he set up practice in Theresa, New York. In 1935 he returned to Canada with his family so that his children would grow up under the monarchy. During the WWI served with the No 7 Canadian General (Queen's) Hospital. In WW2, he joined the RCAMC retiring as Lieutenant Colonel in command of No 3 Company. Between 1947 and 1950, he served in the reserve forces as Lieutenant Colonel of the Medical Section, No 5 Manning Depot, Kingston. Practising in Bath for 40 years, he also published numerous pamphlets and booklets. In 1973 he published his first book Forgotten Leaves of Local History - Kingston, and later The Romance of Fort Frontenac, and Tales of Amherst Island'. The brothers' gravesite in Harrowsmith Cemetery:
Ross Burleigh was a K&P operator at various points: Verona 1909, Folger 1909 and Godfrey 1912. Once the K&P became part of the Canadian Pacific system, he was a CP operator: Godfrey 1914, Arden 1916, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922 and Verona 1917.

This photo is captioned, "John Wesley Burleigh on left while working as carpenter on the Kingston & Pembroke Railroad. Photo taken at Glenvale Calabogie Parham 1910"
Sharbot Lake, captioned 'about 1910' though this photo is captioned 1903 elsewhere:
A postcard to his sister: "Dear Grace, We got the views of our lives taken at last. This is one of the station, it looks very natural." Postmarked in Verona, possibly 1905.
K&P Engine No. 3 "Renfrew" arriving at Lavant station:
Folger, captioned 'about 1910'.
Calabogie, a postcard addressed to Ross Burleigh at Godfrey from his sister Grace, postmarked 1913:
To the south and west was the Grand Trunk Railway bridge at Napanee. This postcard seems to have been purchased second-hand:
The Grand Trunk Railway bridge at Kingston Mills, also sent to Ross at Folger in 1909 by S.G. Briggs of Sharbot Lake, from Antwerp, NY:
:
Two more nearby stations near Sharbot Lake, possibly Crow Lake (originally Campbellford, Lake Ontario & Western) east of Sharbot Lake, unlabelled:
Ardendale (Arden) station, originally Ontario & Quebec Railway, west of Sharbot Lake:
This enhanced post shows even more, new-to-me stations on the southerly end of the Kingston & Pembroke, from this Trackside Treasure trove courtesy of the Burleigh family. Now...to re-read Forgotten Leaves of Kingston History.

Running extra...

Loyal Trackside Treasure reader Terry Muirhead was doing a Reverse Buster Keaton - on his way from Vancouver to Halifax, all aboard VIA Rail last weekend. I was able to meet Terry, albeit briefly on his way through Kingston on J-train VIA No 62/52, elegantly ensconced in HEP Business Class car 4005:






VIA has increased its implementation of intrepid Venture sets in the Toronto-Ottawa-Kingston part of the Corridor, now with ten sets in daily service. Lest we think that's all the daily departures in that lane, there are still 2-5 LRC departures, and 6-9 HEP departures per day. Terry's train above was a good example - Ottawa HEP/Montreal LRC.

I'm watching the US RNC convention like a wary bald eagle. The speakers! The get-ups! Strangely not a word about AR-15's. It's enough to make me yearn for Communism. At least the trains ran on time!

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